2008 Beijing Olympics

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Phelps Cops to Smoking Pot
 Phelps Cops to Smoking Pot 
Feb 1, 2009 2:51 PM CST

Phelps Cops to Smoking Pot

Says he demonstrated "bad judgment"

(Newser) - Michael Phelps admitted today to smoking pot after a British tabloid ran a photo of him sucking a bong, the Times of London reports. The Olympic swimming star apologized, saying he “demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted...

Chinese Sad to See Bush Go
 Chinese Sad to See Bush Go 
Jan 15, 2009 6:36 AM CST

Chinese Sad to See Bush Go

President's free-trade, Taiwan policies get thumbs-up

(Newser) - George Bush is leaving office with rock-bottom ratings in the US but he'll be missed by his many Chinese fans, reports the Los Angeles Times. The president—affectionately called Xiao Bush, or "Young Bush"—is credited with helping China's economy blossom with his free-trade policies. Many fear his...

Home Depot Dumps Olympians
 Home Depot Dumps Olympians 
Jan 8, 2009 7:44 AM CST

Home Depot Dumps Olympians

Program helped win 95 gold medals

(Newser) - Home Depot is ending the high-profile sponsorship program under which hundreds of US athletes have had the opportunity to chase Olympic gold. The company denied that the slumping economy was behind the decision, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. But a marketing expert said, “In tough times like these, companies are...

Beijing Rides High Underground
 Beijing Rides High Underground 
Jan 6, 2009 1:59 PM CST

Beijing Rides High Underground

City finally digging, in defiance of all geomancy

(Newser) - The days of endless traffic jams are over in Beijing, thanks to an ambitious and suddenly popular new subway network, the Wall Street Journal reports. For decades Beijing’s subway has languished, ineffective and, because digging underground violates the mystic rules of feng shui, controversial. “The city’s surface...

Best Sports Stories of 2008
 Best Sports Stories of 2008 
OPINION
Dec 26, 2008 3:02 PM CST

Best Sports Stories of 2008

Evil Bill, golden Michael, ailing Tiger, and hapless Lions held our fascination

(Newser) - Every fan has favorite storylines from the year in sports, but a few were universally intriguing, Reid Cherner and Tom Weir write in USA Today:
  1. Michael Phelps' eight golds in the 08/08/08 Olympics gave America a reason to root.
  2. Our favorite hoodied villain, Patriots coach Bill Belichick, finally got his
...

China's Great Firewall Back Up
 China's Great Firewall Back Up 
Dec 16, 2008 3:43 PM CST

China's Great Firewall Back Up

Censorship, relaxed during Olympics, on rise again as economy slows

(Newser) - China has quietly reinstated the web censorship lifted during its Olympics image cleanup, the New York Times reports today. As in the past, the tightening comes as growing unemployment raises the government’s fears of social unrest. The government defended its right to censor sites that violate Chinese secession laws,...

Google Taps Zeitgeist, Finds Palin a Winner

Alaska governor went zooming up search charts in '08

(Newser) - Every year, Google releases its analysis of the global zeitgeist based on billions of searches around the world. Newsweek reports the highlights:
  • Sarah Palin: "Obama" was the most searched for term overall, but the Alaska governor grabbed the top spot on the fastest-rising list.
  • Beijing 2008: The world was
...

Phelps' Gal Pal Meets Mom
 Phelps' Gal Pal Meets Mom 
Nov 28, 2008 6:30 AM CST

Phelps' Gal Pal Meets Mom

Girlfriend spends Thanksgiving with fam

(Newser) - Olympic champion Michael Phelps brought his latest prize home: his girlfriend spent Thanksgiving with the family in Baltimore, People reports. The pair met in Vegas, where Phelps is practicing for the World Series of Poker and his gal pal works as a cocktail waitress. The Olympic sensation says the card...

Football Goes Mobile on Sprint Phones Tonight

NFL games head to tiny screen

(Newser) - Sprint is about to score big with football fans with the first-ever live broadcast of an NFL game on mobile phones. The debut phone-cast will be tonight's Cleveland Browns showdown with the Denver Broncos. Eight more games from the NFL television network will be available over 7 weeks as part...

China Cracks Down on Internet Cafes

Users must be photographed for national database of Web surfers

(Newser) - China has resumed a strict crackdown on Internet users less than two months after the Olympic Games, ending the more relaxed regulations that accompanied the international spotlight, reports the Times of London. All visitors to Internet cafes in Beijing will be required to have their photograph taken, reports the Times...

China's Great, Baffling Failure: Public Relations

Beijing completely misses 'crass value of cultivating the press'

(Newser) - It’s no secret that China is moving into position as a global superpower, writes James Fallows in the Atlantic, and this only further highlights its leaders’ baffling inability to understand how the country is viewed from the outside—and how to change those opinions for the better. Officials just...

IOC to Retest 5,000 Samples From Olympics

New drug found in Tour de France cyclists prompts probe

(Newser) - The International Olympic Committee will retest samples from Olympic athletes for traces of a new drug, the BBC reports. Cera, a new version of a blood-oxygen-boosting drug, was found in a second look at samples from two Tour de France cyclists this week. Olympic policy allows additional testing for 8...

Officials Clear Chinese Gymnasts

But some of the 2000 competitors were too young, FIG says

(Newser) - China's 2008 gold medal gymnasts are in the clear, after international gymnastics officials said today the documentation provided confirms the women were old enough to compete. But the Chinese team that won the bronze medal 8 years ago still faces questions about the age of two competitors.

US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse
US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse
Sep 16, 2008 10:00 AM CDT

US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse

Swimmer Hoelzer goes public in hopes of helping other victims

(Newser) - Olympic medalist Margaret Hoelzer was sexually abused, she tells the AP in the hopes of helping other victims. The abuse by the friend of a father started when she was 5 years old, the swimmer says, and did not stop until the family moved 2 years later. The abuser was...

Carl Lewis Hints at Bolt Drug Connection

US great says Jamaica's testing policy puts Olympic feats in question

(Newser) - US Olympic great Carl Lewis says Jamaica needs to toughen its drug policy before he’ll take Usain Bolt’s sprinting feats seriously. “I think there are some issues,” Lewis tells Sports Illustrated. “No one is accusing anyone. But don’t live by a different rule and...

Pistorius Wins Paralympic Gold

South African who sued for right to compete in Olympics takes 100 meters; more to come

(Newser) - One gold medal down and two to go for sprinter Oscar Pistorius at the Beijing Paralympics. Despite a slow start on a wet track, the South African won the most difficult of his three races, taking gold today in the 100 meters in 11.17 seconds. Jerome Singleton was second...

Coke Bids $2.4B for Chinese Juice Company

Soft-drink giant looks to capitalize on Olympic afterglow

(Newser) - Buoyed by its highly visible sponsorship role at the Beijing Olympics, Coca-Cola has made a $2.4 billion offer for a Chinese juice and nectar company, the Wall Street Journal reports. The deal would be the second-largest acquisition ever by the company, which has been expanding into non-carbonated beverages in...

Jamaican Hurdlers Linked to Steroids

Drugs sent through Internet network, Sports Illustrated discovers

(Newser) - Two Jamaican Olympic hurdlers received shipments of banned performance-enhancing drugs in 2006 and 2007, according to documents obtained by Sports Illustrated. The drugs were sent to addresses linked to Delloreen Ennis-London and Adrian Findlay, both members of the Jamaican team in Beijing. Findlay denied using steroids, while Ennis-London was unreachable....

Phelps to Kick Off SNL Opener
 Phelps
 to Kick Off
 SNL Opener
Aug 28, 2008 6:41 AM CDT

Phelps to Kick Off SNL Opener

Gold medal star makes comedy debut as host next month

(Newser) - Super swimmer Michael Phelps will be trying his hand at making comedy gold as host of the season premier of Saturday Night Live, E! Online reports. The 23-year-old Olympic champ will be making his acting debut when the program's 34th season kicks off September 13. The swimmer will be joined...

Swimmer Torres Set for Shoulder Surgery

41-year-old won three silvers in pain during Beijing Olympics

(Newser) - Dara Torres will finally get some relief after swimming to three silver medals with a damaged shoulder, CNN reports. The 41-year-old is scheduled today for a surgery she put off before the Olympics. Torres went to Beijing armed with anti-inflammatories, but started having intense pain while there. She plans to...

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